Inspiring arts and crafts for recycling enthusiasts

Bookish lampstand

This project requires an old lampstand made of a thin metal pipe, which screws into a base plate. I scoured a few car boot sales and recycling centres before finding the right one.

Recycled items

Old lampstand (with a thin metal pipe mounted on a base plate)

8-10 paperbacks (depending on the height of the lampstand) Paper lampshade that fits the lampstand

Also needed

Scissors

Wallpaper glue or modge podge

Sponge brush

Drill fitted with a 15mm bit

Pencil

Screwdriver

Method

Unscrew and remove the base plate from the metal pipe. You will need to unwire the plug to separate these pieces.

Decide which books you want to use and make copies of their front covers to decorate the lampshade. You might even want to cut the copies up to make a collage.

Paint the entire lampshade with wallpaper glue using a sponge brush, and paste the cover copies and/or pieces to it. Leave to dry.

Start with one book flat on your work surface, then drill a hole through the middle of it from the front cover to the back. The drill bit should be just larger in diameter than the thin metal pipe, in order for the latter to be fitted into the hole.

Stack this first book on top of the second, then push a pencil through the hole and make a mark on the bottom book. This mark will indicate where to drill through the second book. Only drill through one book at a time!

Continue marking and drilling all the books. Then, with the wire inside the pipe, push the thin metal pipe through the holes, stacking the books along its length. Screw the pipe back into the base and rewire the electric plug.